Word: muslimism
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Jakarta, Indonesia "It's the most logical choice," says Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Not only is Jakarta the capital of the world's most populous Muslim nation, it is also part of the Obama narrative: he lived in the city for a few years as a child. Hooper says the President "will get an incredibly warm welcome there" - which will help with the symbolism of the moment...
Trouble is, Indonesia is not exactly in the crosscurrents of the Islamic world. Despite its size, it has little impact on Muslim affairs. It is also somewhat removed from the big issues Obama will most likely address in his speech - extremism, terrorism, democracy, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan. "Indonesia's a nice place, but it is outside the mainstream of Muslim opinion," says an Arab diplomat who asked not to be identified. "A Muslim watching in Egypt, or in Syria, or in Iraq - they will wonder, 'Why is he speaking to us from so far away?' " (Read "What's Holding...
...generally pro-West and viewed as a reformer. A speech in Rabat would resonate especially with North African nations like Algeria and Tunisia, where fundamentalism and terrorism are on the rise. But Morocco does not carry much clout in Islamic affairs. If Jakarta is too far east from the Muslim mainstream, then Rabat is too far west. (Read "Morocco's Gentle War on Terror...
Like Morocco, though, Jordan has relatively little influence in the Muslim world. "Addressing Muslims from Amman may be a bit like reaching out to Europeans from ... Switzerland," says the Arab diplomat...
Istanbul, Turkey Ironically, the sweet spot for Obama's speech may well be the country he visits next month, in his first trip as President to a Muslim nation. Turkey, says Hooper, is "the bridge between the Islamic world and the West, and it's a good setting for bridge-building, for establishing increased dialogue." In the past, many Muslims regarded Turkey with some suspicion because of Ankara's strident secularism; Turkey was seen as a country ashamed of its religion. But with an Islamist party now in power, that perception is changing. Turkey has also emerged as a player...